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There are periods in your career where work can be very stressful. Unfortunately, many of us take that work stress home with us making our home life unhealthy not only for ourselves but for our family. Work place stress is something that most of us will experience, and here are a few ways that you can minimize the impact it makes on you.

  1. Address the stressors with your supervisor. It’s been proven that healthy employees are productive employees. Your supervisor has an incentive to create a work environment that promotes employee’s well being. Try putting together a list of the stressors you are experiencing in the work place. Then, present it to your supervisor in a constructive manner asking for his/her input on how you can work together to alleviate some of the stressors. In addition, you can prepare some strategic recommendations that you believe will help you do your job better with less stress. You will be surprised at what open and honest communication can accomplish.
  2. Take breaks. We mentioned in an earlier post that taking breaks makes you more productive. In addition, taking breaks helps reduce stress especially if you can take a walk outside and step away from the office. Physical movement during your break will help you regain your mental balance.
  3. Set Boundaries. With the technology we have today most of us are “on” 24/7, and that in itself can be a tremendous stressor. Of course, there are days that are going to require long hours and after hour responses, but not every single item is urgent. We have this belief that we must respond to emails and requests immediately, and that really isn’t the case.  Earlier this week, a client of mine said, “The client’s emergency isn’t our urgency.” Prioritize your workload, and if it isn’t urgent it can wait until tomorrow. Learning that it’s okay to say no is an important part of setting these boundaries.
  4. Reach out for support. I have learned that many of us have a challenging time reaching out for support because we view it as a sign of “weakness”. In reality reaching out for support is very healthy and necessary. Have you ever had a stressful day, and after talking to a friend even about a subject that wasn’t work related you immediately felt better? Connecting with others is vital to our emotional well being especially when we are experiencing work place stress.

 

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